New York Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux is someone who takes immense pride in his work and never shies away from being a strong voice of honesty within the entire organization.

When it comes to handing himself a well-deserved dose of criticism for what was a weakened 2024 season for the former No. 5 overall pick, Thibodeaux didn't pull back any punches when speaking to the media about his shortcomings last fall after the Giants' first mandatory minicamp practice at the team facilities in East Rutherford on Tuesday.

"I didn't finish," Thibodeaux said. "I think I had five half sacks, which should have been whole sacks. I've had probably four or five missed tackles at the sack point. So just finishing my plays and being able to just come out on top of every situation."

Thibodeaux, who was the franchise's leading pocket disruptor in the 2023 season, holds his efforts to a very high standard, one that simply wasn't met as he experienced a major drop-off in the important stats that define his job as an edge rusher.

He only tallied 5.5 sacks in 12 starts, missing the other five contests with a wrist injury that required surgery and an IR visit, and had an overall that was nearly double the percentage of whiffs he held the year before.

That decline in production was simply not reflective of the caliber of destructive player Thibodeaux knows he can be, nor of what the Giants expected him to become when they made him a top-five selection in the 2022 NFL Draft and a main pass-rushing catalyst for their group.

He shared with reporters how the lasting effects of that dismal showing have stuck with him throughout the offseason, making it clear that he is hungry to correct the mistakes and return to his true form as the Giants go through their spring practices.

"I think for me, I can only control the now, and right now, I got to get better at rushing. I got to get better at stopping and running, and that's what I'm focused on. I think the more I can do for the team, the better off I'll be. So, just honing in on that."

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In Thibodeaux's case, there is a lot at stake than just working to patch up his elementary miscues over the next month. The 24-year-old is entering the final year of his initial rookie contract, and while the Giants did pick up the fifth-year option on that deal in early May, he may need to prove he can become a consistent pass rusher for team brass to extend him another extension.

At his best two seasons ago, Thibodeaux peaked with 50 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and 43 total pressures to score a for edge players with at least 289 snaps under their belts. It may take another campaign of that level for the veteran to sway the minds of the Giants' front office to commit to their former first-round prospect for the long haul.

Nevertheless, meeting that demand fits perfectly into the mold of the player Thibodeaux still believes he is at this early stage of his professional career. He has his eyes set on the first goal of being a "consistent double-digits sacks guy" for New York's revamped defensive front that is positioned to help them win more games in 2025.

But once he has that, he isn't going to limit his potential to just breaking the 10-sack mark, instead proclaiming that he wants to set the bar higher, as in chasing Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record.

"Every time I come out on the field, I want to have more sacks than I ever had, more tackles than I ever had, and whatever I got to do to help the team," Thibodeaux said. "So yeah. I'm still going for the record, and I'm going to go for the record every year."

The only obstacle that could stand in the way of Thibodeaux's bold aspirations is the arrival of rookie outside linebacker Abdul Carter, who, like his elder teammate, is joining the group with equally high expectations due to his pick placement and posting one of the most impressive sack totals in all of college football last season.

Thibodeaux, for his part, welcomes the addition of Carter, whom he doesn’t view as a threat to his aspirations.

"I'm in control of my future, and I've never not been in control of my future,” he said. “I think whatever adversity you face, your future is still in your control day by day. So, all offseason, I’ve just been training, working on doing what I can do to continue to get better and control what I can control.”